1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a step device for supporting an individual on the body of a vehicle to facilitate the loading and unloading of material onto the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various step assemblies are provided on vehicles in the prior art for use in loading and unloading articles such as tool boxes and tools onto a vehicle. These prior art devices generally are installed on the side of the body of the vehicle either on the main frame of the vehicle or an attachment to the main frame. Such prior art devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,093 issued on Apr. 12, 1977 to Stecker, Sr. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,319 issued Sep. 14, 1976 to Kirkpatrick. These prior art devices while simple in design and extend out far enough from the vehicle when in use do not have designs which facilitate bringing the step in close to the sides of the vehicle when the vehicle is underway. In addition, they often do not have the strength needed to support an individual carrying a heavy load.